Rachael Grossman smiles after finishing the 16th annual Swim Teal Lake for Diabetes along the Negaunee shore in 2019. This year's swim is slated for Saturday. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — For those who are interested in getting active while fundraising, the 18th annual Swim Teal Lake Benefit for Diabetes will be held on Saturday.

The donations raised from the swim are used by the U.P. Diabetes Outreach Network to “strengthen diabetes care and support across the Upper Peninsula” through a variety of projects, organizers said.

“We have over 60 people signed up right now to swim the race and 40 volunteers to help the races, including kayakers, “ Kristen Cambensy of the U.P. Diabetes Outreach Network said. “It is a super fun event. It’s very neat to see the kayakers and swimmers slowly sweep across the lake. (The) Marquette County Sheriff’s (Office) patrols the lake for us, too, just (to) keep everyone more safe.”

The Swim Teal Lake event has options for swimmers at a variety of skill levels. This year’s race will consist of the traditional 2.25-mile swim across Teal Lake and a short quarter-mile swim, the Short-n-Sweet swim, which is open to all ages. The Short-n-Sweet swim will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the beginner 2.25-mile race to start at 9 a.m. and the competitive 2.25-mile swim at 9:30 a.m.

Participants can register online today or on the morning of the swim. Participants are asked to register at least 30 minutes before their races begin. All races will start on Negaunee’s Teal Lake Beach. The Short-n-Sweet will begin and end on the Negaunee side while the long races will end at Ishpeming’s beach at Al Quaal.

While the event is annually anticipated by residents throughout the U.P., Cambensy said it’s important to remember the purpose behind the swim.

“The West End Health Foundation will supply a match grant for the swimmer donations, so don’t forget to donate. It pretty much helps fund our program for the entire year, we used to get money from the state. But when funds were cut, we have learned to rely solely on the funding from grants and events like this. UPDON is a program partner with UPCAP.”

The first swim was held in 2004 when Dr. Michael Grossman enlisted the help of Bell Hospital and the Upper Peninsula Diabetes Outreach Network in planning a 2.25-mile swim across Teal Lake in Negaunee. More than $200,000 was raised over the first 17 years of the race, organizers said.

For more information, visit swimteallake.org.

Katie Segula can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. Her email address is ksegula@miningjournal.net.